You gave the baby a McFlurry?!

[SlateCoaster]

Parent was eating a McFlurry ice cream and gave 5 month old baby a couple of spoonfuls...

YABU - WTF?! He's only 5 months old. His digestive system isn't ready for sugar-rich ice cream! Cue upset tummy and exploding nappy.

YANBU - Get a grip, it's a million degrees at the moment and it was just a couple of spoonfuls. No harm done.

I’m astonished by the fuss about it on here to be honest

Are you new? 😆

But thanks for a calm, common sense based post. Very helpful. This place loves to lose it’s shit about infant nutrition. Perspective is not a MN strong point.

Some of the specialist dieticians bemoan the lack of variety early on, as there’s a fairly strong alternative school of thought that a big variety of flavours pre-6 months when everything is new leads to babies being more accepting of many different foods when they’re older.

Have you tried any proprietary baby foods marketed for babies under 6 month? Variety of flavours would not be my description! Otherwise, I agree your post is calm and common sense.

I can’t get too worked up about a few licks of a McFlurry, main ingredients milk and sugar). It’s not like she had a whole one or a Big Mac and chips!

Have you tried any proprietary baby foods marketed for babies under 6 month? Variety of flavours would not be my description!

I don’t think that’s what the poster is talking about.

Rather, introducing stronger flavours from a range of fruit/veg from earlier than 6 months.

Have you tried any proprietary baby foods marketed for babies under 6 month? Variety of flavours would not be my description! Otherwise, I agree your post is calm and common sense.

That's why it's generally advised to make your own baby food rather than use jars etc

@CassandraCalled

Consultant paediatrician here. Happily gave my kids all kinds of interesting food experiences early on. The six months advice is guidance only, based on estimates of best practice, and often on current consensus opinion - think of how different in maturity babies can be - one born at 36 weeks v another born at 42 for example. Some of the specialist dieticians bemoan the lack of variety early on, as there’s a fairly strong alternative school of thought that a big variety of flavours pre-6 months when everything is new leads to babies being more accepting of many different foods when they’re older. I’m not sure I agree - but that’s the point - it’s not an exact science! Allergy advice shifted massively a few years back from avoiding potentially allergenic foods before 8-12 months to introducing them alongside other weaning foods. I can see the sense of not over-exposing to sugar early on as they may prefer it, but you can control what you give them. I’m astonished by the fuss about it on here to be honest - I think I could only get really worked up about it if McFlurry’s were their main source of nutrition! Don’t you worry, people get utterly neurotic about their babies and I think that can be more problematic than giving your baby the lovely experience of nice cold ice cream.

Couldn't have said it better myself!!

To settle another Mumsnet debate that appears to be causing outrage, please could I ask for your view on pregnant women having a small glass of wine each week?

Thanks!

Don’t you worry, people get utterly neurotic about their babies

looking at the horrendous diet, health and obesity in this country, you are talking absolute nonsense. Just look at facts.

@fashionablefennel

Don’t you worry, people get utterly neurotic about their babies

looking at the horrendous diet, health and obesity in this country, you are talking absolute nonsense. Just look at facts.

Alongside anorexia, ‘middle class malnutrition’ caused by people who don’t understand that a fibre- rich diet can be too much of a good thing for small children.

The person who gives a baby ‘a few dabs’ of ice cream is not necessarily the same as the person who gives them a whole McFlurry as part of their diet, cheesy chips twice a week etc.

The overall approach to diet is important.

Worrying about a tiny amount of a rare component alongside an otherwise healthy diet is neurotic.

Alongside anorexia, ‘middle class malnutrition’ caused by people who don’t understand that a fibre- rich diet can be too much of a good thing for small children.

Beautiful comment on a thread about giving McD to a 5 month old...

Only on MN

Only on MN
Only on MN isvthe world full of ED. This type of thread attracts orthorexics like flies.
As i said above im glad my dc were weaned before MN, its made weaning something to worry about and a chore. Life used to be so much simpler

First World problems.

Can't really get worked up about this. Plenty of babies are weaned before six months and a teeny tiny bit of ice cream isn't exactly crack cocaine!

I weaned as per advice, pureed every veg under the sun so that my DC would develop tastes for the all the good stuff and they still grew up much preferring beige crap. Go figure!

My mum fed my 8m old baby a handful of salt and vinegar snackajacks instead of some bland baby rice cake. I was outraged of course, but laugh about it now. He still loves snackajacks 10yrs later.

My son had his first taste of ice cream at Christmas when he was six months. He was fine
It's not like it's the main part of his diet 🙄🙄🙄

^That's why it's generally advised to make your own baby food rather than use jars etc

Might be advised but not necessarily what people do consider the market for Heinz and Cow and gate etc. My post was more triggered by people up thread singing the praises of baby rice. Rice, baby or otherwise, must be the blandest food ever!

My post was more triggered by people up thread singing the praises of baby rice. Rice, baby or otherwise, must be the blandest food ever!

But the poster in question quite clearly wasn’t talking about baby rice when she mentioned the potential benefits of exposing younger babies to stronger flavours, so I don’t understand the relevance of bringing it into the discussion.

@fashionablefennel

Alongside anorexia, ‘middle class malnutrition’ caused by people who don’t understand that a fibre- rich diet can be too much of a good thing for small children.

Beautiful comment on a thread about giving McD to a 5 month old...

Only on MN

Lack of clarity in my post: I mean anorexia AND ‘middle class malnutrition’.

I know anorexia to be a serious illness.

But as a society our eating and nutrition issues are not all about obesity, and ‘middle class malnutrition’ was conned and identified by paediatricians.

It’s all complex, and guilt tripping, outrage, obsession etc serve no useful purpose at all.

It was a McFlurry not crystal meth

Personally, think it would be a total non-issue! Professionally, would probably feel obliged to frown and mention that there’s no proven minimum amount of alcohol that can impair neurodevelopment, but it’s extremely unlikely such a tiny intake would lead to problems. (I looked after kids with fetal alcohol syndrome, yet still felt comfortable and guilt free having the occasional small amount of wine). Funny how seeing the extremes makes you realise how everything in moderation is a splendid motto!

It's just a taste, not like they intend to raise their child on sugary stuff. If it was habitual I'd take issue but as a one-off it's a non-issue.